A man accused of blasting a wife in the legs with a sawn-off shotgun as she opened the door of her Sheppey home has walked free from court.

Marilyn Finch told how she felt a sensation "like fire" on her left leg when confronted by Robert Griffin.

But the 32-year-old was cleared of wounding with intent, an alternative charge of unlawful wounding, making a threat to kill and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Mr Griffin, of Sea View Gardens, Warden, denied the charges.

Judge Jeremy Carey told the jury of six men and six women: "It is not appropriate for judges to make any observations about verdicts, save for this:

"You have to try each case according to the facts. Suspicion is not enough. That applies to any case.

"The facts of this case will not have encouraged you about life in parts of our county, but we are not here to moralise. We are here to deal with criminal offences. A high standard is required to convict."

Mr Griffin, who was handcuffed in the dock, was taken to the cells to be released.

Maidstone Crown Court heard there had been a feud over an unpaid drugs debt. Mrs Finch denied drugs were supplied from her home.

Mr Griffin had claimed the gun belonged to Mrs Finch's husband Peter and it went off accidentally as he grabbed it from him.

He told in a statement to police: "I weren't going round to shoot no one, I was going round to punch his head in."

Mrs Finch claimed she did not recognise Mr Griffin on the CCTV system when Mr Griffin called at their home in Bramley Way, Eastchurch, on March 9.

She said Mr Griffin told her: "Your husband was down Warden Bay on Monday. He has gone to my missus screaming and shouting that he was going to stab me."

Mrs Finch claimed he produced the gun from behind his back, pointed it at her legs and told her: "You husband is f------- dead."

As she slammed the door shut she said she felt the burning sensation. She screamed that she had been shot and fell down.

Mr Finch rushed to help his wife and dialled 999. Mr Griffin left. The gun was never found.